Biography
Born in Lancashire and educated at a local secondary school, further education colleges in Rochdale and Manchester and Bangor University, where I graduated with a degree in English and History and a Post-Graduate Certificate in Education [QTS].
My first professional role was at Lancaster and Morecambe College of Further Education where I taught the 'controversial' subject of Liberal Studies in a heavily masculinist and somewhat illiberal environment. I moved to a southern-based college after this before moving into secondary comprehensive schools to teach English and Drama. I returned to do an MA in Women's Studies at Kent, in 1980 and found my vocation in research with a focus on the intersectionalities of gender, class and sexuality. I was awarded an ESRC scholarship after completing my MA to do a PHd which was on an ethnography on girls' friendships in schooling.Role
My role is a Professor of Education in School of Education where I have membership within the Centre for Higher Education and Equity Research [CHEER]. The remit is defined by range of key leadership tasks firstly to contribute to the research culture within the School, through seeking research funding, producing and publishing singly or in collaboration, innovative papers on my areas of expertise. I also teach on the MA in International Education and the EdD-DSW as well as support and supervise a range of MA and doctoral level students.